Global Easter

Easter is celebrated all over the world. While the holiday is relatively the same, the foods to enjoy are different. The main courses are varied as are the sides. The desserts , no matter where they originate are perfect for egg hunters bfg and small. What;s fun is planning your holiday table with this international buffet.

Ham us a big Easter main course.It['s was done because pigs were slaughtered in the fall and their hams were cured throughout the winter. Come Sprtng these were ready to be cooked. Germans and British families as well as Americans love a good ham for the holiday. However in Germany there is also rouladem, those delicious beef rolls stuffed with spinach. A lot of families also serve lamb along with spargill or white asparagus with Hollandaise sauce. Asparagus is in full season right now there and it;s figures heavily in German Spring dishes. The Italians have strong food traditions too.Thye too enjoy a good roasted lamb which symbolizes the Pascal one,Spring veggies like artichokes and peas figure heavily in their side dishes. The Italians, too, love asparagus but it;s shaved and served with shards of Pecorino cheese,The Spanish go the fish route ,celebrating with cod which is also a symbol of Easter. There are also many vegetarian dihes too.There so also a bean soup that starts off the meal.

Across the Pyrennes is France. They have always had a cool style with regards to holiday cooking. They celebrate with a Pare Berrichon. This is a mix of pork veal and whole hard boiled eggs wrapped in a puff pastry crust.It is a rich bite complete with the addition of Cognac shallots.,garlic and herbs.They eschew the ham and lamb of their neighbors and go for a poulet roti or roast chicken..It is covered with butter, from under the skin to being basted with a garlic butter to ensure a crispy skin. The French influence is seen all over the world, especially in the Caribbean island of Haiti. Their griot recipe is a platter of crispy, marinated pork It;s also served with pikliz a shredded carrot and cabbage slaw, along with fried plantains. There's also white rice and beans too to round out the meal. Another Caribean island that goes all out for the holiday is Jamaica.Jamaicans love making  Escovitch fish, which can either be red snapper, or parrot fish covered in a tangy red sauce made of pickled carrots, onions, peppers and Scotch Bonnet peppers. There is also fried fish and sides of rice and operas too.

ANy of these dishes would be perfect for the Easter table. They can be sophisticated or spicy. They celebrate joy with their mix of complex flavors.

Repuposing Easter Dinner

 Yes, there are still leftovers from Easter. What to do with them? Turn them into tasty new dishes the family will love. Food is too expensive to waste these days. Turn it into something tasty and that will go a long way.

There is always leftover ham. You can turn it into a nutritious and filling meal by adding it to any casserole. Add cheddar ,cheese, butter and potatoes and you have a delicious main dish.Onion is  also blended in a long with flour and milk. Another idea is a luxurious ham and cheese panini or a quick croque Monsiuer . The ham can  be sliced as thin or as thick as you want it. Layer it with cheese between tow slices of rye or sourdough.If you;re making a croque Monsiuer use a sourdough bread and butter to fry in.Ham can be also cut into small chunks and mixed with mayo and peas for a tasty salad.Leftover lamb can be made into a spicy curry. It should be  deboned and diced before using. Tomatoes onions curry paste and ginger give it that distinctive , fiery zingy flavor. serve over basmati rice. Another dish for leftover lamb b is croquettes. This works perfectly with those leftover mashed potatoes. These are blended together and rolled into logs. They're then breaded with panko crumbs and can be air fried for fried din oil.

What about those hard boiled eggs? They too good and expensive to waste. YOu could make deviled eggs- which are everybody's favorites. The basic recipe is mixing the yolks with ketchup  or Dijon mustard and mayo until they turned the classic pink orange. You can sprinkle paprika on them or try chives for something different top each one with a shrimp to make this leftover more luxurious. Deviled eggs also are good  in an  egg salad. Use good quality mayo for creamy texture. Egg salad can have add ins too. Think bacon bits or even a cup or two of the leftover ham, finely diced. There is a trend now to add avocado to the salad. This requires two avocados and less mayonnaise. The  mashed avocado makes up for the mayo's creaminess. leftover dinner rolls or toasted sourdough. The hard boiled eggs would also be great in a salad Nicoise a long with any leftover veggies like asparagus or string beans. Add some tomatoes a can of tuna in oil and greens for a protein packed, refreshing bite.

Easter leftovers can be repurposed into delicious hot and cold dishes. Try them for a fresh flavor on ham , lamb and deviled eggs.  They're a great way to celebrate Spring cooking.

Easter Leftovers Holiday Recycling Part One

Now that the holiday weekend is over, there are the holiday leftovers to deal with. WHat to do with the leftover ham and lamb? All those pretty eggs? Recycle them into new and tasty  dishes that empty the fridge and keep the family fed for a few days. It's also a nice way to prolong Easter and keep the holiday spirit.

Ham is one of the easiest meats to recycle. It can be ground in a food processor with some mayonnaise and celery seeds for a yummy deviled ham.This can be spread onto whole wheat bread for lunch or even a Spring picnic. It can also be chunked and mixed in with chili for a more richer and earthier flavor. Save the bone for flavoring split pea soup.Lamb can be made into everything from meat balls to meat loaf.An exotic dish is making a spicy version of the meatballs, using coriander, onion and mint with a mint laced yogurt sauce. Another is a lamb loaf, a variation on  meat loaf, using chili powder, fenugreek and cumin.

What to do with those dozen or two dozen eggs you dyed on Saturday? Hard boiled eggs can be used in a whole slew of ways..They can add color to a regular salad, thanks to the dye seeping through the shell and into the whites. Add them to a Spring spinach salad with some crumbled bacon bits or to a lush salad Nicoise , redolent with tuna and olives. They can also be sliced and served  with a butter sauce.over the vegetable of the season - asparagus.Of course hard boiled eggs are their best in a tarragon laced egg salad. As for the asparagus itself, leftover stalks can be cut up and mixed in with salads. Other veggies such as spinach and celery can be cut and put into soups or even omelets and quiches.

Easter leftovers needn't be challenging.There's so many ways to recycle them. They can into interesting dishes that still have the flavor of Easter but with something more. Good dishes that celebrate the Spring season!